


Soul Code

by seitsemannen



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Markjin get matched because of a mistake, Misunderstandings, OT7 Dynamics, Pining, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, but there's a happy ending for everyone I swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 06:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10803531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seitsemannen/pseuds/seitsemannen
Summary: Soulmate AU, in which there's a certain code that appears on your wrist after your soulmate is decided. One night after a wild party, Jackson attempts to play cupid by writing Jaebum’s code on Jinyoung's arm with marker while he’s passed out, but the joke turns tragic pretty quick when Jinyoung wakes up, still semi-wasted and panicking, finds his match in the database, and it’s most decidedly not Jaebum.





	Soul Code

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jinyoungstuan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinyoungstuan/gifts).



> Written for the lovely prompt by [jinyoungstuan](http://archiveofourown.org/users/jinyoungstuan) at the [got-hyung 2017 fic fest](http://got-hyung.livejournal.com/) :)

It seemed like the most perfect idea, when they were drunk off their asses over several bottles of soju. Jinyoung had passed out after all the exhaustion of exam week, and maybe also because Jackson had been sneaking his best friend some extra shots to make him relax. Well, it had worked. Kind of. Jinyoung was sort of relaxing, still wearing his other shoe where he was lying on the sofa in the living room of the apartment he and Jackson shared. Jackson had never seen the younger as drunk as he had been today, but to be fair, Jackson was quite drunk too and they had had a long, long exam week.

Anyway. The most perfect idea was not getting Jinyoung to pass out on the sofa, nope. The plan had been formed after the very convenient passing out, and as little steps as it had, it was rather genius for a mind as drunk as Jackson’s right now, although he was saying it himself.

There were several things that had led up to this situation. First, Jackson had always been obsessed with the soulmate codes since he was young, and he was quite the doodler. You see, everyone got a soulmate code at one point, twelve numbers that would match with exactly one person in the world, but it wasn’t a given when exactly you’d get your code. The best guess the scientists could give currently was “when you’re ready for it”, which didn’t really explain why some got their soulmate codes at 7 and some at 70, but still. The typical age seemed to be in their mid-twenties, apparently because usually people weren’t ready for the commitment before that.

Anyway, Jackson thought the scientists were wrong, because from the moment his mother had explained what the numbers on her and his dad’s wrists meant, Jackson had wanted his, been ready for his, and still, at the mature age of 25, his had yet to appear. But he had from since when he was young dreamed of it, and learned to do an exact replica of what the soulmate numbers looked like on the skin of his wrist. His mother had freaked out the first time he had done it, until she had realized that the numbers were on his left wrist although he was right-handed. Well, Jackson hadn’t bothered to learn to do it with his weaker hand, but anyway, the point here was that he could replicate a soulmate code with a specially long-lasting black marker on anyone’s wrist with his eyes closed, or even very very drunk, like he was, right now.

The second reason leading up to this situation was Jinyoung and his recent tendency to be extremely  _ not fun. _ The man had been pouring himself into his studies and part-time work and had left no time for any relaxing at all, and, well, Jackson was worried. Worried and drunk, Jackson had decided that what Jinyoung needed in his life was some  _ luuuuuuv _ to get the giant stick out of his ass that made the younger snap at Jackson for no reason, like when the slightly but proudly older man had left dishes in the sink for like five minutes instead of washing them immediately or taking them into his room.

Which brings to the third reason of this situation: Jaebum. The older was Youngjae’s roommate and an absolute dreamy photography major with a  _ major _ crush on Jinyoung, and his soulmate code had appeared a while back. The man was making the most helpless moony eyes towards Jackson’s best friend, and Jackson had waited for the (not that much) older man to make a move for  _ months _ now, but nothing had happened, and so, drunk Jackson had decided to take the matter in his own hands and play cupid.

The fourth reason? Well, that was the fourth reason. Jackson was drunk, and he thought this was a good idea, so here he was, sitting on the floor cross-legged next to the sofa as he drew the digits of Jaebum’s soulmate number onto the wrist of Jinyoung’s right hand, instructed by the giggling roommate of Jinyoung’s future lover. That's right, the same guy who was almost at the point of passing out where he laid on the floor next to Jackson, his head on Jackson’s lap.

“What were the three last numbers again?” Jackson slurred, pausing with the very permanent marker right over the skin of Jinyoung’s wrist. Jinyoung hadn’t even budged so far, completely knocked out cold, but that was working out perfectly for the plan, as it wouldn’t do if Jinyoung stirred now, or twitched and made Jackson fail at his art. Nuh-uh. This was important, it was to end Jaebum’s pining and Jinyoung’s tight-assedness. Was that a word? Tight-assedness. Well it should be, because that described Jinyoung’s behavior lately well.

“853. Or were they 358? I’m not sure.” A rather loud giggle. “Maybe, we can sneak back to our room–” A hiccup. “– and check. I’m pretty sure it was 853 though.”

Jackson considered the trouble of dragging the half-limp noodle of a person that was the almost passed out Youngjae all the way up to sixth floor, where Jaebum’s and Youngjae’s apartment was. The elevator had broken just last week, of course. There was no way Jackson could do that, not when his mind was this fuzzy and his balance questionable, although the muscles he had bulked with pride would probably be up to the task of holding Youngjae’s weight for long enough.

“Nah,” Jackson decided. He had always been rather happy-go-lucky, trusting that everything would work out just fine. “853 it is. If it’s not right, there are what, a trillion different combinations? It won’t match with anyone, and if it does, we’ll just tell Jinyoungie. No problemo.” Jackson tried to repeat the last phrase in as many languages as he could, but fell short after three. His brain was really not working well right now.

“There, finished.” Jackson admired his handiwork on Jinyoung’s wrist before gently setting it back on the sofa, next to his best friend’s head. “Perfectly replicated soulmate numbers, matching Jaebum-hyung’s. Tomorrow’s gonna be a fun day.”

He yawned, stretching and jostling Youngjae out of his lap. The younger had apparently already fallen asleep on Jackson’s thigh, because he yelped as he was woken by having his head dropped onto the floor. Jackson cooed at Youngjae and poked his cheeks affectionately, taking care that he made it to (Jinyoung’s) bed, although Jackson was only barely able to hold his own balance, but that’s just how he was. Taking care of others first, then himself. That was him, Jackson Wang. And today he had done a good job, giving Jinyoung and Jaebum the push to give their relationship a chance as with how badly Jaebum was crushing on Jinyoung, wasn’t it a given that Jinyoung would get his numbers eventually? Jackson was simply speeding him along, because Jinyoung was being stubborn with his “I’m not ready for love” thing.

And yet, Jackson’s plan wasn’t perfect. Maybe if he had planned it for more than two drunken minutes, he would have realized all the possible risks and their impact, but honestly, he hadn’t had the foresight.

His first mistake had been not reliably having Jaebum’s soulmate code to copy. Sure, Youngjae lived with the man and saw glimpses of it every other day although people usually wore wristbands or bracelets to cover up the numbers in public, but as the numbers weren’t that meaningful for Youngjae himself, it wasn’t like he had them memorized  _ that  _ well.

Jackson’s second and much more severe mistake was planning and executing the whole plan while shit-faced drunk, all the while knowing that he had the tendency to not remember half of what happened the day after whenever he drank more than one bottle of soju. So, when morning came and he was woken up by his best friend freaking out about getting his soulmate numbers and having found his match in the system with some guy they didn’t know studying in another university just a couple subway stops away, Jackson didn’t remember what the feeling he got of something being horribly wrong meant, and Youngjae, who might have remembered, had left a couple of hours before as the sunshine never got hangovers and he was visiting his parents in Mokpo over the holidays.

It was all downhill from there.

  
  


Jinyoung was mildly freaking out.

Okay, that was an understatement. When he had woken up that morning, alcohol still in his blood, and had gotten up to pee and drink some water, he had noticed the black digits on the inside of his right wrist from the corner of his eye. He had been convinced he was having a nightmare, but when no amount of pinching himself had woken him up, and scrubbing his wrist raw proved that the numbers weren’t coming off either, he had known he wasn’t dreaming, but rather what he had not yet (or ever) wanted, had come to pass.

Jinyoung had been so content in the notion that his soulmate code would only come when he was ready, and he hadn't thought he ever would be, abhorring the idea of being half of a whole, of being tied to another with no say in it. But there the numbers were, starkly contrasting against his wrist in the light of the fluorescent lamp of the bathroom he shared with Jackson. His twelve numbers of doom. He wasn’t ready at all.

Still, Jinyoung had stumbled to his computer and carefully, checking each digit thrice, inputted them into the soulcode search system to see if his soulmate had already gotten theirs before him.

_ Mark Tuan, _ the system informed him,  _ 25, Taiwanese-American, studies Architecture and Urban Design at Hongik University. _

They had gotten their soulmate code at nine years old.  _ Nine. _ Jinyoung was twenty-four and he still wasn't ready, but he had made his soulmate wait for so long that he couldn't run away from this now, he needed to at least give this, give  _ them, _ a chance.

There was nothing wrong with Mark from what Jinyoung could make out from his profile. He was handsome and obviously took care of himself, smart, of course, if him studying at a prestigious university was saying anything, and although the short description of his interests (skateboarding, western food and horror movies) didn’t really match well with Jinyoung’s, he could see them getting along. Which was probably the point, as soulmates. It still didn’t feel right.

But Jinyoung was not going to disrespect his soulmate, so in a moment of determination and calm (and drunk) he sent a message to his supposed other half for them to meet up, before descending back into panic and going to freak out all over a hungover Jackson.

Which brought him here. Sitting across the table to his soulmate in a booth of a cafe in Hongdae. A very handsome soulmate, and still Jinyoung didn’t feel more than anxiety and just the distinct feeling that this wasn’t  _ right,  _ that he wasn’t ready and this wasn’t fair to him, or this other person who was now tied to him.

His reaction upon seeing Mark should’ve been closer to Jackson’s, probably. Jinyoung had brought his roommate with him because his nerves were driving him crazy, and the Hong Kongese boy’s mouth had promptly dropped open when Jinyoung’s soulmate had slid into the seat across from them, gray beanie pulled over silver dyed hair, oversized and loose clothes an obvious contrast to the neat business casual look Jinyoung had dressed in. It had been funny, watching Jackson close and open his mouth at Mark like a fish, but it had made Jinyoung’s soulmate obviously feel flustered and Jinyoung had to jab his elbow into Jackson’s ribs to make him stop.

It wasn’t much better when Jackson immediately after blurted, “Wow Jinyoung-ah, you didn’t tell me your soulmate is super handsome, you’re sooooo lucky!”

Jinyoung shoved Jackson off the seat for that, and apologized for his friend’s behaviour, but Mark just laughed, teeth all pointy and white, so it wasn’t all that bad. They fell into a casual chatter after that, Jackson doing too much of the talking as he guided the conversation by asking a lot about Mark and offering details about Jinyoung in turn. Jinyoung felt a bit calmer, because Mark was rather quiet and composed, obviously a level-headed and thoughtful persona, and that made the Korean male feel a lot more hopeful about their compatibility. He didn’t feel any flutters in his stomach or a heady feeling in his chest when Mark smiled, but they got along. Maybe it wasn’t that bad.

Jinyoung was glad Jackson had really taken to Mark. Jinyoung didn’t say it out loud, but when Jackson had declared them as platonic soulmates a couple of years back, Jinyoung had been very happy. It was important for him that Jackson liked whoever his soulmate was, and the conversation with the three of them had quickly turned comfortable with Jackson around, so Jinyoung was glad the talkative blonde had come along, as he had been worried that he and Mark might have been too awkward with just the two of them, meeting like this for the first time. But now, with them having talked for an hour or so at the café, when Jackson had to leave and Jinyoung had suggested he and Mark get ice creams from a convenient store and walk a little, the silence between them didn’t feel stifling.

They sat onto a bench next to a small playground quite close to the café, enjoying the sunshine. Jinyoung was explaining about the drama project he was currently working on, and Mark had been quiet for a while already, but the younger hadn’t thought it weird as he had already gotten used to the long silences, knowing already that Mark listened attentively. This time was different, however, because Mark suddenly interrupted him with an irrelevant question, revealing that he hadn’t maybe been listening at all, as something else had been gnawing on his mind.

“Can I see your numbers?” The older stated bluntly, and Jinyoung turned his head to look at the silver blonde in surprise, the expression on Mark’s face more serious than he had expected.

Seeing no reason to refuse, Jinyoung slid up the sleeve of the navy blue sweater he was wearing below his khaki trench coat, showing the black numbers on his wrist to Mark wordlessly. He didn’t expect Mark to narrow his eyes at them, showing his own wrist from under the huge hoodie he wore, sporting the exact same numbers, like was to be expected. The silence was tense this time and Jinyoung started feeling uncomfortable, a cold shudder running down his spine when Mark slowly brushed his fingers over the numbers on the younger’s wrist, before retreating them quickly.

“What is it?” Jinyoung asked carefully, feeling uneasy. He covered the numbers on his wrist although he knew they weren’t going anywhere, no matter how many layers of clothing he piled on them.

Mark’s next words were weighed carefully, but there was something raw and honest about his tone that made a wave of anxiety wash over Jinyoung again. “Nothing, I just… I don’t mean any offence, but you’re different– this is different from what I expected it to be like.”

Jinyoung laughed, the sound cold and sharp in his ears. Almost hysterical. He was still sort of freaking out about the whole thing, he had just managed to forget about it for a moment, lulling himself into feeling like they were just new friends instead of newly discovered soulmates. It was all rushing back now, and Jinyoung’s breaths felt tight in his chest. He felt bad for Mark, because it was obvious that the older had been waiting for this for a long time, and at least to Jinyoung this was nothing like the stories he had been told about the meetings of two soulmates who had both gotten their codes; a romantic moment filled with excitement and fond feelings for one another.

“I'm sorry Mark-hyung, it's my fault, I don't feel ready for this at all, and you've been waiting so long, and I– there's nothing wrong with you, I just…” He took a shaky breath. Mark laid a tentative hand against his knee, and it helped him calm down a little. “Nothing about this feels right to me.”

Mark’s eyes were far more understanding than what Jinyoung felt like he deserved. “It's alright, don't apologize. This is all very sudden for you, but, we have forever, right? We can take it slow, so… Let's not worry about later, and just be friends first, okay?”

Jinyoung swallowed, manually calming down his breathing, a lump stuck in his throat from the kindness and maturity Mark was showing towards him, although his long-awaited soulmate obviously wasn't living up to expectations. He was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with him, but this, at least, was something that he could give to Mark. He didn't know about soulmates or romantic love, but Mark was a nice guy and he seemed like a good person, and Jinyoung was more than ready to be friends with him. It was what was supposed to develop after that he didn't feel alright with.

“Okay. Friends sounds good, I can do friends.” Jinyoung gave a small smile, and Mark squeezed his knee lightly, the smile on his face closed-lipped but kind.

Jinyoung hoped, really hoped that this feeling would go over, that given time he would start feeling those things soulmates were supposed to feel for one another, for both of their sakes.

But he doubted it.

  
  


Jinyoung was sooooo lucky. He had it all – the looks, the charms and the smarts, excelling in every area of his life. On top of that Jinyoung had one if not  _ the _ most handsome guy in their year crushing on him, and now his soulmate was the single most beautiful and perfect being Jackson had ever had the chance to meet in the whole twenty-five years of his life? Jinyoung really had everything, and Jackson tried so hard to be happy for him, he really did.

And he had been, so far, about everything else life had graced Jinyoung with, because Jinyoung was Jackson's best friend, and although Jackson paled in like every area in comparison, he was rooting for his best friend to succeed in everything and anything he did, because Jackson cared for the guy, and it wasn't like life was a competition? Jinyoung was the best friend Jackson could ask for, always supporting him and helping him however he could, through thick and thin. Jackson loved him, and would protect him fiercely from all harm.

So, Jackson couldn't really explain to himself why the situation was different when regarding Jinyoung's soulmate. He had been absolutely thrilled to hear Jinyoung had finally gotten his code – and although Jackson had hoped the younger would have matched with Jaebum, he had been in any case happy that Jinyoung could start his forever already, eager and curious to see a soulmate relationship develop from up close. He had been skipping all the way to the cafe they were meeting Jinyoung’s soulmate at, so excited for his friend.

It all had changed the moment Jackson had seen Mark. The boy looked like he had literally walked right out of Jackson's daydream, all slim but strong with a pretty face and a cute laugh. Not really what he had thought to be Jinyoung's type (Jackson had been  _ so _ sure it would be Jaebum), but soulmate codes weren't wrong. Jackson could see the two of them get along, both more on the quiet and thoughtful side, and both so perfect and handsome and smart. Jackson was so different from the two of them, an annoying loudmouth with insecurities, stupid jokes and general clinginess. But he was a good friend, and damn it, if he felt a bit conflicted because Jinyoung had such a perfect soulmate, then he would just have to whip himself into behaving like the best friend Jinyoung deserved.

So, once the two soon-to-be love birds both started to visibly relax in each other's company, Jackson did like a good wingman should, and excused himself, leaving the two alone to have a proper first date without a messy best friend there. Although Jackson would have loved to spend more time with Mark. Preferably like, hours and hours. But it was Jinyoung’s and Mark’s first date, and Jackson would not be the one to ruin it, oh no.

Everything had been just perfect, the previously love-averse Jinyoung had seemed to relax in Mark’s company, and Jackson had been hopeful the younger would give this blossoming soulmate love a chance despite his previous apprehensions, so it was safe to say he was surprised when Jinyoung returned home that afternoon much sooner than Jackson had expected, and told Jackson to keep the soulmate thing under wraps, that he and Mark wanted to try being just friends first, and didn't want everyone to know about their soulmate status. Jackson had been just about to send a cutesy message with way too many emojis into their group chat with Jaebum and Youngjae about Jinyoung having his first dreamy coffee date with his soulmate, but Jinyoung had just denied him the pleasure. Jackson didn't understand him – if Mark were  _ Jackson’s _ soulmate, he would want to scream it from the rooftops and overshare it on every social media platform just so that everyone would know that that perfect boy was his.

But Jackson was going to be the  _ best _ best friend ever. He wasn't by nature very good at keeping secrets, but he would, for Jinyoung’s sake. And when Jinyoung wanted to hang out with their combined friend circles, Jackson was more than happy to take part, accepting any reason to hang out with Mark and get to know him more. It was great, because Mark’s friends, Yugyeom and Bambam, were a lot of fun too, all loud and mischievous, a welcome balance to the calm of Jinyoung, Mark and also Jaebum, who had accepted the invitation and joined them easily enough. Youngjae was still going to be away in Mokpo for some days before their holidays were over, but Jackson was pretty sure the loud and happy dongsaeng would fit into the group of the six of them just fine.

It was within the first ten minutes of hanging out with the six of them that Jaebum made an interesting observation. If it could be called that, because his reaction was (kind of understandably) quite extreme.

They had decided to go bowling together with the six of them. It was a good getting-to-know-one-another activity, because they could talk as much as they liked, but there was the sports aspect to focus on, so it wouldn’t get too awkward whenever the chatter would quiet down. Not that it would, not with Jackson there, that was certain. Anyhow, as they had taken off their outer clothes to hang them up, Jaebum had suddenly, without warning, grabbed Mark’s right arm and  _ twisted _ it hard enough to make the older yelp.

It had been a terrible couple of seconds as everyone had frozen in alarm, trying to understand what was happening and why, and how they should react to it. Jackson was after a second’s pause already moving towards the two of them with the intention of helping Mark out of Jaebum’s grasp, but before he could, Jaebum had already let go. Mark had immediately pulled the released forearm close, cradling it to his chest and glaring at Jaebum offendedly.

Jaebum cleared his throat, shuffling on his feet and looking awkward, face an embarrassed shade of red. “I'm sorry Mark-hyung, with a glance I thought our soul codes were a match, they’re very similar. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have reacted so thoughtlessly, I was just… so surprised?”

As a further explanation Jaebum unfastened the leather bracelet around his left wrist that he used to cover his numbers in public, and turned his wrist towards Mark to show the reason to his rash actions. People usually didn’t realize Jaebum had a soul code, because being left-handed wasn’t that common, so people were usually only looking at everyone’s right wrist, and that was probably the case now, too. But what Jaebum had said was true. Mark’s and Jaebum’s soul codes were surprisingly close to a match, the difference being only in two numbers that looked rather similar, so the misunderstanding was rather understandable, although Jaebum’s reaction had been too much.

Some sort of a bell of recognition, that Jackson should remember or realize something, rang in the back of his mind, but Jackson had no idea what it was about.

The situation was defused quickly enough, Mark calmed down with Jaebum’s explanation, but the two eldest weren't off to the best start, that was for sure. Jackson noticed Mark and Jinyoung exchange a long gaze after Jaebum had stopped apologizing and they all had moved over to the bowling tracks they had reserved, picking shoes for everyone and teams to play in. Jackson also didn't miss the way Mark's hand lingered on Jinyoung's lower back as they picked out bowling balls, so to keep their secret, it was Jackson's duty, wasn't it, to sit next to Mark at the bowling alley and be very friendly with him? So that nothing would appear special or out of the ordinary to the others regarding how friendly Mark and Jinyoung were being. It was a completely reasonable chain of actions from Jackson.

Jackson told himself it had nothing to do with that he liked to have Mark’s attention for himself, loved how easily Mark accepted Jackson’s general friendly touchiness – an arm around his shoulders, an occasional touch of knee, and just general leaning into Mark’s space a lot. Jackson was  _ definitely not _ acting like this because he loved getting Mark to smile and laugh with his antics, loved the warm sparkle in the older boy’s eyes as he looked at Jackson, and the way Mark would reciprocate his touches a little after a while, a friendly hand on his arm and a poke to his sides when the younger was going too far in teasing his friends.

So, okay, maybe Jackson was acting a _ bit  _ selfishly. He tried to fix it by going to sit on Jinyoung’s lap for the other half of the game, making his best friend praise him for the strikes he threw and dealing some affection to Jaebum too, his best cheering aegyos used on the “chic & sexy~” man. But he quickly realized he was doing something wrong, because when he glanced Mark’s way, he caught the older glaring at where Jackson was sitting in Jinyoung’s lap, quickly turning his gaze away when he noticed Jackson was looking his way.

And damn it, it hadn’t been Jackson’s intention to make Mark be jealous about his soulmate. As Jinyoung’s very best friend, Jackson should be feeling happy, because it simply meant that Mark cared enough, if he felt a bit jealous about Jinyoung. But Jackson wasn’t happy, because it meant he had messed up and made Mark upset, so he quickly slunk away from Jinyoung’s lap and sat normally on the bench, falling into an uncharacteristic silence as he mentally berated himself for overstepping and acting like a fool.

Jinyoung picked up on it immediately of course, but the younger had no idea what had upset Jackson, so he only continued making the matters worse for Jackson by trying to cheer him up and being all friendly and touchy like they usually were. On top of that Jinyoung of course only got more worried when Jackson tried to avoid the touchiness to not make Mark more jealous about his soulmate, as it was unusual for Jackson to avoid physical touch or attention.

It got to the point that Jackson had to excuse himself to the toilet to get Jinyoung off his back.

Sitting on the closed lid of the toilet in one of the stalls and flipping through the apps on his phone in an attempt to waste some time before returning back to the others, there was this gnawing feeling in Jackson's chest that he didn't recognize, the way Mark's hand had settled confidently on Jinyoung's waist and how Jinyoung's tone of voice had softened just a little when he spoke to Mark playing on a loop in Jackson's head, again and again. It took a while for him to place the feeling, the shame for feeling like this, when he should just be happy for his friend, clouding his vision, before he was capable of facing the bitter truth and accept it as it was.

Envy and jealousy. Jackson was used to feeling hungry for attention and being protective of his friends, and sometimes feeling a tiny tingle of envy or longing when he looked at soulmate pairs, but the intensity of this poisonous feeling he felt towards Mark’s and Jinyoung's match was not something he could dismiss. It was the nagging sense of loneliness and longing for a soulmate of his own, combined with a childish sense of unfairness that it was Jinyoung who got assigned Mark as his soulmate, when he already had the heart of one dashing man in his hands. Jinyoung hadn’t even  _ wanted _ a soulmate, and he had gotten one. Jackson had wanted a soulmate forever, and he still wasn’t given his.

He wanted to whine and pout about it, but no amount of temper tantrum would help him; what was done was done, and nothing would change the fact that Mark and Jinyoung were soulmates. Jackson would get his soulmate too, one day.

It was just that Jackson had never been someone who’s patient, and he had wanted his own happy ending for so long. And he had hoped to have it with someone exactly like Mark.

  
  


Things had been going well with Mark. After they had agreed to be just friends for now, they had fallen into a comfortable friendship, bringing both their friends together to hang out on several occasions. They had found that their closest friends fit together rather nicely, forming a tentative new group of friends with the six of them, personalities mixing well together, even with the altercation between Jaebum and Mark within the first ten minutes of meeting. The two oldest had been very careful around one another after that, but there was no animosity between them, and Jaebum agreed to hang out with them another time, so Jinyoung considered that everything had gone as well as possible, considering their start.

In any case, as things stood, Jinyoung enjoyed Mark’s company, he thought the male was handsome and they were getting along well, so everything was as good as it could be, for now. The idea of a soulmate still unsettled Jinyoung, but he was starting to think it wasn’t maybe that bad, after all. Mark certainly wasn’t rushing him into anything, expecting them to have their happily ever after the moment both got their soul codes, so Jinyoung was content.

Mark had needed no convincing to keep their match a secret, and since Jinyoung preferred to wear long sleeves as long as the weather would allow, it wasn't in any way out of the ordinary for his wrists to not be visible in public. Mark, on the other hand, had been boasting his soul code for years, so he didn’t go out of his way of hiding it. There was something carefree and proud about the way Mark carried his code that Jinyoung was a tiny bit envious about. Mark was happy about his soul code dictating his match, had been from when he was very young, but Jinyoung didn’t, couldn’t feel the same. He tried to not see his own soul code at all if he could avoid it, flinching whenever he was reminded of it as he saw it while washing his hands or just before bed. The way Mark embraced his fate of being tied to another was admirable, and Jinyoung just hoped that one day he could feel something even remotely similar when he looked at his soulmate code or soulmate.

But for now, he mostly just wanted to forget about the whole ordeal. And for the most parts he could ignore it, the six of them going bowling and eating on the first night and eating and noraebang on another. He and Mark shared several comfortable conversations, meeting a couple of times with just the two of them during the days to grab lunch or coffee, but it wasn't really date-like, more just them trying to get to know one another. Jinyoung was just starting to think that things were going surprisingly and delightfully well regarding the whole soulmate affair, when things, of course, just had to go wrong.

He had been at Jaebum's place for one reason or the other, the two of them tending to spend a lot of time together without the need to even find an excuse to sit evenings together mostly in silence, content being doing whatever they wanted or needed to do from homework to composing or reading books. It had been getting late and Jinyoung had just asked Jaebum if they should maybe watch a movie before bed, when a yawn had overcome him, and he stretched his arms high on top of his head.

It was then when Jaebum had seen Jinyoung's soul code, as his sleeves had slid down just enough to show it.

“You got your soul code?”  _ You didn’t tell me, _ hung in the air, unsaid between them. It was a rhetorical question, really, and more than enough of an answer when Jinyoung flinched, bringing his hands down to cradle his right wrist against his chest on a reflex.

For some reason, possibly because he had hidden this from Jaebum, Jinyoung felt a surge of guilt and shame, bringing a bad taste into his mouth as he tried to figure out what to say, somehow never having gotten as far in his thoughts as to how to tell Jaebum about him getting his soul code and match, although he should have, considering how close he and Jaebum were and how much they hung out together. It had been only a question of time before the older would see Jinyoung’s soul code, and it had been foolish of him to assume he could hide the reason for his and Mark’s connection from Jaebum forever (or at least until Mark and Jinyoung would be comfortable with the soulmate aspect of their relationship, which was maybe the same thing).

In any case, Jinyoung found himself without words, avoiding Jaebum’s gaze and rubbing a thumb over the skin of his wrist hard, like he could erase the numbers under his fingers with enough violence. His heartbeat was raging in his ears, the mortification he felt very tangible and Jinyoung didn’t really understand why this situation felt so  _ bad, _ when it had been so trivial to go freak out about the soul code to Jackson the morning he had gotten it what was only a couple of days ago, but felt like years, now. Okay, Jinyoung had been halfway between drunk and hungover when it had happened, but still. This shouldn’t be this hard, he confided in Jaebum all the time and trusted the older to keep his secrets much more than he trusted Jackson, who despite all his love and loyalty was a bit of a blabbermouth.

When it was clear Jinyoung couldn’t come up with anything to say, Jaebum broke the silence by clearing his throat like there was a piece stuck in it, speaking with a tone that sounded strained, forcibly calm. “Who is it?”

Jinyoung licked his lips nervously, glancing at Jaebum’s face involuntarily before averting his eyes again. He felt like he his lungs were so heavy, breathing was hard and the single word that he forced his mouth to form was like a punch to his gut. “Mark-hyung.”

Jinyoung didn’t know if he could hear Jaebum draw a shaky breath where he was sitting at his desk because it was so loud, or if in this moment every single one of Jinyoung’s senses were hyper tuned to Jaebum. Jinyoung didn’t understand the sadness that he saw on Jaebum’s face when his eyes flickered up by themselves to take in the older man’s expression, but it felt like someone was wringing his heart in his chest. He felt horrible, and he wasn't sure why.

“Oh.” Jaebum cleared his throat again, and Jinyoung dared to raise his eyes to face Jaebum. Jaebum’s eyebrows were bunched together, handsome face wearing a conflicted expression. “So that's why, the sudden familiarity and all…”

The silence could have been cut with a knife. Jinyoung didn’t even dare to move, alarms blaring in his head like on a sinking ship but he didn’t even know what was going on, didn’t know how to save the situation or himself.

“I… I think… You should probably leave.” Jaebum's voice broke and it felt like a knife twisting in Jinyoung's chest and he just didn't  _ understand— _

“Why?” Jinyoung found himself asking. Jaebum never sent him away, letting him sleep on the living room sofa or even on his bed if Jinyoung happened to fall asleep reading a book or watching a movie. Jaebum never shunned him, or shied away from him, but now the older was holding his own left wrist in a vice grip and refused to look at Jinyoung, strong shoulders shaking just the slightest bit and Jinyoung  _ hurt. _

When Jaebum's eyes snapped back up at him, the look in them was almost foreign, one that Jinyoung had seen on Jaebum's face before, sure, but he had never had it directed at him. It was a cold, sharp and angry gaze, the dark pools of his dark brown eyes accusing Jinyoung of something he didn't understand, had never understood before Jaebum opened his mouth and dropped the bomb on him, making him realize in one grand blast just how blind and ignorant he had been.

“Why? Really? Jinyoung-ah literally everyone, except you apparently, knows I've been in love with you pretty much since I met you,  _ that's _ why.” The words were spat out like poison, and poison is what they felt like, corroding on Jinyoung’s insides as dread took over. “I need time and space before I can… deal with this, so.  _ Please. _ Leave.”

Jinyoung was up to his chest in water with no way out, alarms blaring loud in his ears telling him about the danger but it was too late, far too late. He had not seen it coming, he had been totally blind to what had been right in front of him and in his ignorance, he had hurt his friend inadvertently, taking their friendship for granted and not even realizing the feelings he should have taken into account.

There was nothing he could say or do now that would right the situation, so Jinyoung found himself getting up from where he had been reading on Jaebum’s bed, gathering his things robotically before getting up and leaving. The least he could do was to respect Jaebum’s wishes, and leave the older alone, pretending he didn’t hear the choked sob just before the door closed behind him, as heavy as his heart.

  
  


Jackson knew  _ something _ was wrong when Jinyoung returned to their apartment earlier than usually he did on a night he hung out with Jaebum, especially when Jinyoung’s expression was solemn instead of the usual content one he wore after meeting Jaebum, and the younger didn’t even answer when Jackson asked him about how Jaebum was doing.

Jackson tried to get Jinyoung to talk about it, but although Jackson was very persistent, he had learned a long time ago that when Jinyoung didn’t want to talk about a topic, it was best to wait until the Korean male had time to mull things over, because the younger wouldn’t say a word before he was ready for it. Jaebum, on the other hand, was much easier to squeeze information out of, so logically, after trying to knock on the door to Jinyoung’s room for a minute or two and get him to talk fruitlessly, it wasn’t many minutes later that Jackson was behind Jaebum’s door, looking for answers.

Jaebum looked haggard when he opened the door, hair a mess from bringing his fingers through it in frustration, a hollow expression in his red-rimmed eyes, but he let Jackson inside without a fuss, probably knowing very well what Jackson was here for with a serious expression and silent greeting instead of the usually very happy and enthusiastic one.

Jackson didn't even have to ask what happened, because before he had even sat down, Jaebum was spilling the beans about how he had found about Mark’s and Jinyoung’s match, and how the conversation had gone about as well as could've been expected after that. Jackson rubbed Jaebum's shoulder as the older held his head in his hands, not crying but only barely so, probably. Jackson hugged him as the older recounted how he had fallen for Jinyoung on first sight, so when he had gotten his soul code only a couple of weeks later, he had really thought that the younger would be the one, and how Jaebum had just bided his time, so sure that when Jinyoung was ready, their codes would match. Jackson had heard the same story many times over, recounted whenever Jaebum got drunk enough that he got clingy and talkative, tired of watching Jinyoung dance with anyone willing without a care in the world. Jackson was pretty sure it was just days since he had heard this last, the very night before Jinyoung had gotten his numbers, but it was the first time Jaebum’s voice was laced with actual heartbreak instead of the usual longing.

“It’ll be alright,” Jackson attempted to comfort the older man, “since they're soulmates, it wasn’t meant to be with you and Jinyoung-ah, right? You’ll get over it and you’ll get your own soulmate when the time is right.”

Jaebum let out a dry laugh that ended in what almost sounded like a sob, raising his head from his hands to look at Jackson earnestly, water in his eyes although it wasn’t falling on his cheeks. “Maybe it wasn’t meant to be, but that hardly matters for love. My heart chose him before the numbers chose me, and I don’t expect to get over him any time soon, or ever… But I’m sure that over time, I will be able to deal with his soulmate being someone else and be happy for him, because that’s what love is, Jackson-ah. If his numbers dictate that he should be the happiest with someone else, then that’s what I want for him.”

Jackson was taken aback by Jaebum’s words, spoken so sincerely and surely, telling Jackson that although the man had been pining after Jinyoung for  _ years, _ he wouldn’t mind Jinyoung being with someone else if that was how it should be and… The words unsettled Jackson somehow, their sentiment not a familiar one. Wasn’t the type of love that Jaebum felt for Jinyoung, the type of someone who thought of another as a soulmate, the sort that they would want to be the one to bring their happiness, to have the other person’s love for their own? Shouldn’t they feel wronged by fate, having to live the life of a star-crossed lover, like in the old tales?

His surprise and confusion must have shown on his face, because Jaebum rested one hand at his shoulder, giving it a squeeze like it was the older comforting Jackson instead of the other way around. “It’s love if you want the other to be happy no matter what. That’s what I realized, after I met Jinyoungie. That as long as he’s happy, it doesn’t matter if it’s with me or not, and that, I think, is genuine, true love.”

Jackson was very familiar with parental love, having a great relationship with his parents and having them dote on him. He had tried his best to repay their love, but they had never asked for anything, only being grateful for his happiness and wanting the best for him even if it was at their cost; all the time and effort and money and love spent on ensuring he got the chance to prosper and be happy. It was an unselfish love, pure and genuine. It was a sentiment that Jackson hadn't thought to apply to romantic love, to soulmates.

Now that he thought of it, he didn't know why not, really? It was selfish to want the other person to complete you, to make you happy, wasn't it? Jackson realized he had been silly, clinging onto the notion of a soulmate to come and complete him and make him happy, that wasn't the right reason to want a soulmate for. Jackson was already happy now, doing well in school and having good friends and a successful hobby and loving, caring parents. He wanted to meet his soulmate, he was anxious to know who they were, but the thing was… He shouldn't be selfish. Soulmates should be supporting one another, and he should genuinely want the best for his soulmate, instead of wanting the best from his soulmate for himself.

Perhaps he had learned something today, too. Jackson smiled at Jaebum, pulling him into a hug. He decided to focus on his friends and himself, for now. A soulmate would come when they would come. He shouldn't be in a hurry, because one day, when he was ready, he would get his match, too. Meanwhile, he would start taking responsibility about his own happiness and focus on loving others without conditions, so that when he would meet his match, his soulmate could be proud of him.

He didn’t think it was easy, changing the way he thought about love. But he would try.

  
  


Okay, so maybe Jinyoung was compensating, hanging out a lot more with Mark after his fight with Jaebum, but he hadn’t noticed before how much time he usually spent with Jaebum during the week, and he wanted a distraction from the festering feud between them and the empty hollow Jaebum left in his life. Mark was a willing candidate, Jackson having to split his time between Jaebum and Jinyoung as the happy-go-lucky man was friends with both of them.

“I love you Jinyoung-ah, and you’re my best friend,” Jackson had begun, “but you have a soulmate and Jaebum-hyung… Well. He needs a friend.”

Jinyoung understood, of course he did, and Jackson was loyal to a fault, he knew that. He also knew rationally that he was in the wrong here, that he had been insensitive, but he wasn’t the only one in the wrong, now was he? Jaebum could have said something, before. Jinyoung wasn’t sure what that would’ve changed, but he felt betrayed by Jaebum having hidden his feelings, probably much like Jaebum felt betrayed because Jinyoung had hidden the fact that he had gotten his soulcode.

He talked about it to Mark, a lot. Mark was a good listener, letting Jinyoung go on and on as he tried to make sense to the situation, as he iterated over what had happened again and again, cursing himself for not realizing Jaebum’s feelings before.

It took three days and a lot of complaining from Jinyoung’s part for Mark to finally break.

“Have you considered how  _ I _ feel about any of this? You're my soulmate, and yeah, we've agreed to be just friends for now, but you've just been confessed to by one of your closest friends, and now pretty much the only thing you've talked about for days is how you wish he had told you sooner, and how you hate it because you don't know how to react to this news, but you miss the guy. How am  _ I  _ supposed to react?”

Mark had never raised his voice at Jinyoung before, never used an angry tone at him, and Jinyoung halted where he had been pacing in his and Jackson’s kitchen, ranting off to Mark over the phone, frozen like a deer in the headlights of a truck, although there was no one there to see him.

“Mark-hyung, I’m sorry. I… I didn't think,” Jinyoung finally said, the words feeling like they weren’t enough, but at least they weren’t honest. He had been so focused on his confusion regarding Jaebum’s sudden confession that he hadn’t really considered Mark’s situation, just using him as a comforting shoulder and a friend to rant to.

“That’s right, you didn’t,” Mark said bluntly, and really, it was understandable that he was mad. Jinyoung was used to people like Jackson and Jaebum who very quickly and straightforwardly told Jinyoung off if he was too much, but Mark was different, Mark was more patient and his he didn’t have a temper like Jaebum did, Mark was… Constant, reliable and calm, and Jinyoung had not considered his limits at all, although he should have.

Mark took a long, calming breath and Jinyoung realized he was almost holding his, trying to be as quiet as possible as he didn’t know what to say into the dense silence of white noise on the line, only broken when Mark spoke again. “I understand that you’re having a hard time because one of your oldest friends just revealed that they have liked you for a while, but I think you need to get your shit together now, Jinyoung-ah. It’s been several days, and since it bothers you this much and you are good friends, you should talk with him, sort this out.”

A grave pause.

“Do you know what you sound like, Jinyoung-ah? The way you talk about it sounds like you’re in denial about your feelings towards him, and how am I as your soulmate supposed to feel about that?”

The words hung heavy in the silence of the apartment still long after he and Mark had hung up.

  
  


Jackson didn’t know what a volatile situation he was stepping into when he came home from fencing practice, his hair still shower wet and mind calculating if he had to finish the assignment due tomorrow already today. Warning bells should have rung when he saw Jinyoung laying still on the living room couch without a book in his lap, but he had been too preoccupied to be sensitive, so he carelessly asked the other how he was doing, not prepared for the dam that broke inside of Jinyoung as the younger sat up and looked at Jackson with strikingly desperate eyes.

“I've been selfish, haven't I, Jackson-ah? I've been so self-absorbed, and acted like a terrible friend and soulmate.” Jinyoung's voice was low and small, but unlike the usual calming softness to it, it had a rough edge of it, a tinge of panic, and Jackson shoved all other thoughts aside in favor of sitting next to Jinyoung on the sofa and wrapping his best friends in his arms.

“Where's this coming from?” Jackson asked gently, pulling Jinyoung's face into the crook of his neck, wanting to comfort the younger so bad but not sure how. “You’re not a bad friend, and Mark-hyung is lucky to have you as a soulmate, you know that.”

Jinyoung wasn't having any of it, righting himself again to look Jackson in the eyes, and Jackson had to settle with having his arms (and one leg) around the younger, hoping to futilely shield him from everything bad by cradling the other in his arms. Jinyoung's black eyes were wet with tears and wild with despair, and Jackson really wanted for his friend to never wear this sort of expression again, never wanted his friend to hurt like he obviously did now.

“But Jackson-ah, I've been so blind to how other people feel, acting irresponsibly and hurting others because of it. Doesn't that by definition make me a horrible friend and soulmate?”

“Ah,” Jackson started, trying to figure out how to comfort Jinyoung while still remaining truthful, which was what the younger wanted from him, what they had always valued about their friendship. “No, that's… I don't know what you mean by horrible soulmate, did something happen with you and Mark-hyung? But with Jaebum-hyung, I think you just didn't realize because you have been friends for so long?”

Jinyoung was silent for a long while, staring into nothingness over Jackson’s shoulder, and Jackson wasn’t sure if he should wait until Jinyoung said something or say something more himself, but in the end after rubbing circles into Jinyoung’s shoulder blade, Jinyoung finally spoke, meeting Jackson’s eyes steadily.

“I think I’ve been taking people for granted. First Jaebum-hyung, and now Mark-hyung… I haven’t considered their feelings enough, haven’t bothered to ask myself why they behave as they do or how they would experience things.” Jinyoung’s words were carefully weighed, and there was no doubt in them, no question or even surprise. Jackson brushed some of Jinyoung’s hair away from his face, wanting to comfort but not knowing what to say or do.

He still tried. “Well, but you know what you’ve been doing wrong now, don’t you? So, you can be better, you can seek to actively take their feelings into account more. Don’t be sad, Jinyoungie, love is…” Jackson hesitated, wondering if he had any right to say these things, but seeing Jinyoung like this, having seen how Jaebum had reacted some days before, Jackson suddenly believed the words. “Love is not all happiness and being perfect. It’s no end solution, and it’s not something you only feel for your soulmate, right? Love is caring for the other person and wishing the best for them, in ups and downs and knowing that the other person isn’t perfect either, and accepting that? So, if you recognize your fault and you try your best, Jaebum-hyung and Mark-hyung will see that, and love… Love needs those imperfections, those fights and faults to really be deep love, whether it’s friendship or romantic, right?”

Jackson wasn’t sure if he was blabbering too much, if the words made any sense as they came out of his chest with raw feeling, with raw understanding of what he felt like the point of love was, but he hoped that Jinyoung understood his sentiment.

Jinyoung’s eyes were kind as they looked into Jackson’s, leaning his head on the slightly older man’s shoulder and closing his eyes. “I hope so… But although I realize now that I need to think about their point of view more, it doesn’t help me with the fact that I’m confused about how I should feel, regarding Jaebum-hyung… And Mark-hyung. Shouldn’t the soulmate system work so that you don’t fall in love with anyone else like you fall in love with your soulmate? So why is it like this, with Jaebum-hyung… And me…”

The last part sounded suspiciously like a confession, and Jackson was graciously going to let slip unnoticed in order to preserve Jinyoung’s honour and not make this situation any more complicated and painful than it already was.

Jackson threaded his fingers gently through Jinyoung’s soft, black locks of hair. He had been wondering the same things as Jinyoung was, wondering why he was feeling this fluffy, fluttery feeling around Mark that he hadn’t really felt before, that he shouldn’t feel in any case towards someone who wasn’t meant for him. But Jackson had tried fighting it, tried denying it, and he couldn’t. And because that was how love was – Jackson didn’t care anymore if it wasn’t him that was with Mark. He wanted Mark to be happy, and if it was with Jinyoung, that was fine. Jackson wanted them to be happy, because both of them deserved it, and he would be happy with that.

But why it had to be so that people fell for others than who they were meant to be with, Jackson didn’t know. It was a cruel lesson, really, wanting someone who was so close, yet so completely unattainable. And it was currently causing the four of them so much unhappiness.

“I don’t know, Jinyoungie… I really don’t know.”

  
  


Youngjae had been on his way back from his parents, when he had decided to drop by and see his hyungs who lived on the ground floor before climbing up the many floors to his and Jaebum’s apartment (yes, the elevator was still broken. Nobody apparently cared if students had to lug their groceries or luggage up several floors to their flat, they were young and nimble after all). He had a spare key so he had just let himself inside, finding Jinyoung and Jackson flying on the living room sofa and carpet respectively, watching some tv show with a hollow, thoughtful look to the both of them. His gleeful greeting was answered unenthusiastically, which was very weird, especially since Jackson was usually the first to get excited from the slightest excuse.

“Did anything happen while I was gone?” Youngjae asked as he stepped in, not bothering to take his shoes off as he wasn’t going to stay, he needed to lug his bags all the way upstairs after all. He was only gathering some strength.

“Oh, nothing much. Jinyoungie got his soulmate,” Jackson said casually, raising his head from the floor and giving Youngjae a bland smile, which Youngjae didn’t really understand.

“Oh! For real?” Youngjae tried to clarify, and when Jinyoung nodded and flashed the black numbers on his wrist before hiding them behind his sleeve again, Youngjae let out and excited sound, bouncing on his feet. “Really! That’s so cool– so it worked?”

“What worked,” Jinyoung retorted in a sharp, monotonous tone, and Youngjae raised his eyebrows, not really having expected his hyung to react like this if he had just gotten his real soulmate, anyone would be very happy about that, wouldn’t they? Youngjae glanced over to Jackson, trying to figure out how much he should reveal, but Jackson’s poker face had really gotten a lot better from when Youngjae had observed it last, because there was no sign on his face that he knew what Youngjae was talking about.

Well, Youngjae was a shit liar so he was just going to come clean, what did it matter anyway if it had worked and Jinyoung has gotten his actual code already? “Uhhh, don’t get mad hyung, but that night before I left? When we were out drinking? We were pretty drunk and it was a silly idea really, but me and Jackson-hyung wrote Jaebum-hyung’s soulmate code on your wrist when you were passed out, to like, push you two closer together?”

“What?!” Now both Jinyoung and Jackson were sitting up, looking at Youngjae like he had just said the most outrageous thing, and Jinyoung was glancing accusingly back and forth between him and Jackson. Youngjae swallowed and started to scramble for an explanation, but Jackson was quicker.

“There’s no way that happened, Youngjae-yah, he didn’t match with Jaebum-hyung. And the ink I use for soulmate codes fades, but Jinyoung-ah still has his, as fresh as the day they came.”

Jinyoung was tugging his sleeve down and looking at his soulmate code again, rubbing over the numbers with a thumb. His tone was annoyed with the slightest bit of concern, eyebrows furrowed as he looked back up at Youngjae again. “Yep, it looks the same. How drunk were you, Youngjae-yah? You really shouldn’t drink that much.”

“Well if it would’ve happened, they would’ve looked the same, I’m super good,” Jackson butted in, “but I remember no such thing.”

“You never remember anything when you get super drunk, hyung,” Youngjae complained, “and yes I was drunk but I remember it for sure, I was listing the numbers and you were drawing them…”

Jackson let out loud complaints about how he held his alcohol well, but he and Jinyoung ignored them because really, everyone knew that wasn’t true. Jackson forgot things that happened while drunk all the time, needing recounting of the happenings on the previous night from others.

“Things would be a lot simpler right now if it had been Jaebum-hyung I had matched with,” Jinyoung admitted suddenly, “but it wasn’t. Please drink more responsibly, Youngjae-yah.”

“You’re hardly anyone to talk, you passed out!” This, at least, was something where Jackson could agree with Youngjae, and the Hong Kongese man started happily teasing the Korean male about passing out so very early that evening.

Youngjae, on the other hand, was starting to doubt his memory. He had been so sure about what had happened, but Jackson wasn’t that good an actor, and it didn’t seem like the hyungs were trying to pull his leg either, so Youngjae let it go now. It made no sense to argue.

But it was weird, Jinyoung matching with someone else than Jaebum. And the timing was suspicious too, since Youngjae was quite sure about what he remembered. But he left the two friends to fight about drinking habits, gathered his bags and started making the long trek upstairs. He would find out what exactly had happened later anyway, and from the year or two he had known Jinyoung and Jackson he knew better than to get in the middle of them when they were having another petty word war.

Youngjae was a firm believer in everything turning out the way it was supposed to be, in the end.

  
  


There was nothing gentle about the way Jinyoung was woken up early on the following morning. He had been sound asleep and when someone pulled his blanket away and started grabbing at his hands his sleep-muddled mind interpreted that as someone attacking him, and it was only when he got his eyes open he found that he was wrestling his best friend. He only just managed to hold back where he had been about to kick his assaulter in the crotch, although he maybe should have anyway just to teach the older a lesson.

“What the hell?” Jinyoung swore, not fighting back anymore as he realized there was no threat to him, even though Jackson had a wild look to his eyes. Jackson dumped most of his weight on Jinyoung and pulled on the younger’s right arm until Jinyoung’s code was in view, and Jinyoung was about to repeat his question when Jackson answered them all by bringing his own right wrist right next to Jinyoung’s, a  _ very _ familiar black code embedded in the previously blank skin.

For a moment Jinyoung thought he got a heart attack, because with a quick glance their codes looked identical, and that wasn’t really the most usual thing to happen, not with how many different combinations there were with twelve numbers. But they weren’t the same, they definitely weren’t, although Jackson apparently felt the need to read both codes out loud several times to confirm that they indeed were different codes, one 3 and one 8 the other way around in their sequences.

“We’re not matches,” Jackson confirmed, like that wasn’t obvious from the fact that Jinyoung was matched with Mark. “Oh my god, what if I’m matched with Jaebum-hyung?! His soul code was almost the same as yours and Mark-hyung’, right? Oh my god, oh my god, Jinyoung-ahhhhhh––”

Jackson was freaking out, and really, it was far too early for this. Jinyoung tried to clamp a hand over Jackson’s mouth to get him to be too quiet before Jinyoung got a headache, but no dice. Jackson was a wailing and flailing heap of despair, and Jinyoung wondered what on earth the older man’s problem was, since Jackson had waited and wanted to get his soul code since forever.

Jinyoung distinctly ignored the sting in his chest from the idea that Jackson and Jaebum were a match.

“Jackson-ah, it’s too early for this and I’m not wearing a shirt, will you  _ please _ get off me.”

Jackson rolled off him surprisingly easily, but directed his best puppy pout at Jinyoung as the younger stood up and fished for some kind of a shirt to pull on, the morning already off to a terrible start. Jinyoung rubbed his temples, and grabbed his smartphone from the bedside table.

“I’m going to call Jaebum-hyung now, and ask what his numbers were, so stop whining, okay?”

  
  


The sound of his phone blaring woke Jaebum up from deep slumber, so he didn’t have any brain cells to spare to think if it was wise to answer the phone when he noted that it was Jinyoung calling, habits sunk too deep, and who was he to deny anything from Jinyoung ever, anyway?

“Hello? What’s going on, Jinyoung-ah, why are you calling so early?” Jaebum moved the phone away from his ear enough to check the time. Quarter past seven. Way too early.

Jinyoung’s voice was achingly familiar, even on a call on speaker. “Jackson-ah just got his soul code, and he’s freaking out because it’s similar to mine. He wants to confirm if it matches with yours or no.”

Jaebum was considerably more awake once he stopped just marvelling how wonderful Jinyoung’s low and slightly raspy voice sounded in his ears, and the words sunk in. The digits he looked at, once he switched his phone to his right hand, were so familiar to him that he wouldn’t even really have needed to look at them to list them to Jinyoung over the phone. His heart raced in his chest as he listened to Jinyoung repeat each number out loud to Jackson, and waited for the result of Jackson loudly comparing them to his.

“It’s not a match,” Jaebum could hear Jackson answer, and he breathed out a sigh of relief, too soon, before Jackson’s next words that truly made his heart freeze mid-beat. “But aren’t his numbers a match with yours though, Jinyoung-ah? 358, you said, mine’s 853 but yours ends in 358, doesn’t it?”

Jinyoung’s laugh sounded off, too loud and high. “What are you saying, Jackson-ah, I have a match already, we checked our numbers with Mark-hyung on the first day. Mine’s 716, 012, 014, …”

Never had Jaebum heard a silence as long and nerve-wracking as this one, never had he wanted to hear the last three digits of a soul code as much as he wanted to now. It was because of that stretched silence that the following shouted words were so loud in comparison, that Jaebum had to move his phone further away from his ear to spare his hearing.

“WANG JACKSON I AM GOING TO KILL YOU, WHAT THE FUCK, SO YOUNGJAE-YAH WAS RIGHT, WASN’T HE??”

There were sounds of a tussle, Jackson yelped in alarm and Jaebum was just wondering if he was still dreaming or not, if he had understood what had occurred correctly, because it had sounded like Jackson had been right about Jinyoung’s match, and Jaebum  _ really _ wanted to confirm if that was true. He didn’t even know what the thing Youngjae was right about was, but he really couldn’t care less if it meant that after these horrible couple of days of heartbreak, everything was alright and Jinyoung was his soulmate after all.

“What’s going on?? Jinyoung-ah, what are your last three digits?” Jaebum asked anxiously.

“Good news, Jaebum-hyung!” Jackson shouted, “Ow, did you just  _ bite _ me, Jinyoung-ah, the hell? Ah, get off–” More sounds of struggle, and a grunt that suspiciously sounded like “shut up” in Jinyoung’s voice. “In a surprising turn of events, oof, no, I’m gonna tell him, stop it– yours and Jinyoungie’s soul codes match! Congratulations! Help, he’s strangling me!”

Jaebum was already halfway pulling his sweatpants on, but not because he felt the need to rescue Jackson from Jinyoung’s feeble attempts of murder, no. It was for a completely different reason, that Jaebum felt the need to get where Jinyoung was immediately.

Jackson clearly wasn’t even in the need of saving, because he was the one to open the door, when Jaebum had managed to pull on a couple of pieces of clothing and run down the several flights of stairs to Jinyoung’s and Jackson’s apartment. Jaebum was thankful for the good luck wishes and friendly pat the younger gave on his shoulder, but did his best to ignore the lewd wink and very informative “I’ll make sure not to come back today, so you’ll have the flat, make good use of it~”. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself, and that was… Getting far too ahead.

His heart pounding in his ears, Jaebum carefully slipped off his slippers and placed them next to the door. Looking around the apartment there was no sign of Jinyoung in the living room or kitchen, but the door to Jinyoung room closed in a clear signal that Jaebum promptly ignored.

“Jinyoung-ah?” Jaebum called out.

“Oh shit, that traitor, he let you inside. I spared his life and this is how he repays me?” Jaebum wasn't sure if Jinyoung wanted an answer to that, or if the younger even meant to say that out loud for Jaebum to hear, but it hardly mattered.

“Can I come inside?”

“No,” came the immediate answer. “I'm too embarrassed, leave me to die.”

Jaebum took that a yes, because Jinyoung was only being dramatic, taking far too many lessons from Jackson, so Jaebum tried the handle. The door was unlocked, and it swung open easily, revealing a barely dressed Jinyoung in t-shirt and boxers, lying face down on his bed, cover slung over half of his body in a futile attempt to hide. A small smile slid on Jaebum's face at the sight before he moved, sitting down onto the edge of the bed, careful to not touch Jinyoung. This was important, and the older was so scared to ruin this, after all the waiting and the pining and the heartbreak.

Indirect approach was the best one, Jaebum decided. “You said on the phone something about Youngjae-yah being right? What was that?”

Jinyoung had to lift his face away from his pillow to be able to answer. He was not looking at Jaebum though, eyes glued firmly to the wall on the other side, but Jaebum had been patient for so long that he was ready to take it one tiny step at a time, if it meant they were still getting somewhere. “Youngjae-yah dropped by yesterday and said something about him and Jackson-ah drawing a soulmate code on me while I was passed out last Friday night, but we thought he was remembering it wrong because my soulmate code hadn't faded… Well, apparently it happened, which is why I matched with Mark-hyung in the first place, and I hadn't even noticed my digits had changed because I tried to avoid looking at them as much as I could.”

Jaebum soaked in this information, and understood Jinyoung's murderous intents towards Jackson a little better. Jaebum would certainly want to have a word with the Hong Kongese man later, but whether he wanted to hug him or hit him was still under debate. Maybe both.

“…Can I see your numbers?” Jaebum tried carefully, Jinyoung's right hand laying right there next to him, but the younger had never been one to appreciate unwelcome touch, so Jaebum was not about to touch him without asking permission first. He didn't have to, because Jinyoung flipped his wrist over, allowing Jaebum to read the black numbers he had previously only seen on a glance properly now.

It was a match.

“Jinyoung-ah…” Jaebum pleaded, not caring about appearances when it was Jinyoung, and especially now that it was confirmed that Jinyoung was  _ his soulmate. _ Jaebum’s chest ached with happiness and longing from those two words;  _ his soulmate. _ He was ready to throw all his dignity away if Jinyoung would just turn and look at him and confirm that this was true, that this was really happening. “Look at me, please.”

For a moment, it seemed like Jinyoung wouldn’t comply, adamant on staring at the wall until Jaebum would take the hint and leave, but finally the younger moved his hands to push himself up into a sitting position, the look in his eyes sharp as he regarded Jaebum, but also… Confused, conflicted and scared.

Jaebum reached a hand out slowly, giving Jinyoung the chance to flinch or push it away if the touch was unwanted, but when neither of these happened, he touched Jinyoung’s cheek lightly, reverently, everything about the touch different and special although they had been friends for years and touched each other casually more than often.

“Jinyoung-ah…” Jaebum’s voice was barely more than a whisper, his eyes trying to take in everything on Jinyoung’s face while Jinyoung’s eyes returned the favour by searching his. “I know you’re averse to the idea of soulmates, so nothing has to change, I’m just, for me, I’m just happy to finally know that I’m yours and you’re mine, and that’s enough. I don’t expect anything from you now, so we don’t have to rush into anything, I’m just happy if we can continue being friends comfortably–”

“Oh, shut up.”

There was no hesitation in the way Jinyoung wrapped a hand around his neck and pulled him into a kiss, nothing shy or tentative about the way Jinyoung kissed him immediately with teeth and tongue, claiming his mouth with hunger and passion. Jaebum had a hard time keeping up with the younger, but he answered the kiss gladly, drowning in the scent of Jinyoung’s skin and the soft slide of their lips. It was perfect, although neither of them was at their best, teeth unbrushed and stubbles unshaved.

“Yes, I haven’t thought that highly of soulmates, and frankly, I’m scared,” Jinyoung admitted when they finally parted, lips moist and red Jinyoung really looked so perfect there, early sunlight from between the shades lighting up his face beautifully, his black hair a fluffy mess. “But I’m ready for this, with you. Thinking I matched with Mark-hyung and finding out you loved me made me realize that if I could choose, I would want to be with you. So, what I’m saying is… I’m glad it’s you.”

Jaebum’s heart might as well have bursted from those words, because that’s how full it felt, having Jinyoung here and willing to give them more than a chance. He let out a laugh, because if he didn’t, he might have started crying, and he’d rather save himself at least that embarrassment. The smile that spread on Jinyoung’s face was bright and warm, and Jaebum leaned in to steal a soft peck from those perfect, perfect lips he had yearned to taste for so long. Jinyoung laughed into the kiss, low and pleasant, and yeah, like this was everything Jaebum could have asked for. Jinyoung’s lips were insistent and playful on his, not giving even an inch unless he got two for himself, and Jaebum had always known that he was whipped for the younger boy, because he would give him that, and more.

It wasn’t a happily ever after, but it was a good start.

  
  


Jackson was spontaneous, the type to start going along with a plan even when there wasn't more than the vaguest outline of what should happen, certain that he could wing it on the way. But perhaps that wasn't the best thing today, because Jackson found himself standing in front of the door to Mark’s dorm room, dressed in the first things he had found on the floor or in the closet, unshaved, without makeup or brushed teeth or any of those other things that one was supposed to do to make a good impression on the meeting of one’s soulmate.

Well, Jackson and Mark had met before of course, so there already was a first impression, but Jackson was suddenly having all the regrets about hurrying out of the apartment. He could have spared fifteen minutes on making his appearance more decent, as it was super early anyway and Mark would  _ probably _ be sleeping, wouldn’t he?

At least he would be home, for sure.

An even smarter person would have probably  _ checked _ in the code system whether or not he and Mark were matches instead of relying on a memory and a guess. He might just be making a fool out of himself now, appearing in Mark’s doorframe to tell him that because of Jackson’s apparently not-so-well executed plan, Mark had never matched with Jinyoung after all, and then it might be that him and Mark wouldn’t even match at the end of it. And what if Mark had  _ wanted _ to match with Jinyoung, and he would be sorely disappointed if he matched with Jackson, who was so bland in any area of comparison to the perfection that was Jinyoung and––

Jackson hadn’t knocked, but the door opened, revealing a sleepy Mark in a fluffy white bathrobe and silver hair sticking into every direction, talking on the phone. “Yes, he’s right here, hovering behind the door? Jinyoung-ah, what’s going on–– shit, did he just hang up on me?”

Jackson blinked rapidly at the older, half of his brain overwhelmed by Mark’s adorable appearance and the other half furiously wondering if it was too late to turn on his heel and escape, but when Mark just stared at him before gesturing him inside, Jackson found his legs automatically moving him inside Mark’s apartment.

It was a small student studio apartment with a kitchenette and inexpensive furniture, nothing special really, but it still managed to look homey and just like Mark. Jackson was grasping for distractions, so he bounced over to the small sofa the second he had gotten his shoes off, getting comfortable and asking questions about the apartment quicker than Mark could have answered, if he had bought the attempt at diversion to begin with. But he didn't, seeing through Jackson’s diversion tactics at once.

“Jackson-ah, why were you just standing behind my door at 8 in the morning on a Sunday?”

Jackson mouth snapped shut where he had been just about to ask about the basketball on top of Mark's closet, hand dropping where he had been pointing at it and automatically settling in his lap so that he was cradling his right wrist, although it was well hidden beneath the sleeves of the baggy sweater he wore.

“Uhm, I, uh, I came to tell you something. It's, uh, urgent. Umm, do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Jackson stammered through the sentence, not knowing where to start.

“Bad news,” Mark said decisively, sitting down on the edge of his bed across from Jackson. The collar of his bathrobe showed just the tiniest bit of his collarbone, and Jackson did  _ not _ wonder if the older was wearing anything beneath it. Because that would be a totally improper train of thoughts to have in this moment. Yup, Jackson was 100% not thinking about that.

“Okay, uh, wait, I don't actually know which is the good and which is the bad, maybe it's actually all bad, nothing good about any of it, fuck, maybe it was a horrible idea to come here, can you pretend you never saw me while I get out? We can pretend this never happened and I–”

Jackson was already moving to get up from the sofa when Mark shot him down with an unimpressed, sleepy glare and a firm “I was woken up early on a Sunday morning for this, just spill it now.”

Jackson felt like his swallow was audible in the room, and when the words finally made their way out of his mouth, he rushed them, like he was hoping that Mark’s sleepy brain maybe wouldn’t register them if Jackson spoke fast enough. “I’msorrybutyoudidn’tmatchwithJinyoungahyou’rematchedwithme,” a messy tangle of words, with a final “maybe” added just a second too late, as Jackson rubbed his wrist through the sweater roughly.

Mark blinked at him slowly, like an owl, before letting out a helpless, startled laugh. “What?”

Jackson let go of his wrist to drop his gaze to his lap and dwindle the hem of his sweater between with his fingers. He felt so small, his voice raising into almost hysteric high as he tried to explain himself as quickly as possible. “I uh, apparently had drawn your soul code on accident on Jinyoung-ah’s wrist as a prank or whatever while drunk, I was trying to match him with Jaebum-hyung, and, well, the code faded away, and now he’s like, actually matched with Jaebum-hyung, and um, I got my code last night, and uh, because it’s similar to theirs I thought the numbers might match with yours?”

Jackson tentatively raised his eyes to look at Mark’s face, but his expression was unreadable. Surprised and confused, but otherwise unreadable, a wall of reservation kept up between them. Jackson’s eyes followed the nervous dart of Mark’s tongue to the side of his lips before the older spoke.

“Show me.”

  
  


Mark didn’t hesitate before he was moving, plopping down on the sofa next to Jackson. The younger has behaved like a skittish animal from the moment Mark opened the door and invited him inside, but unlike a frightened animal, with Jackson Mark was quite sure that the other would only escape if Mark didn’t act, that if Mark gave Jackson too much space now, the younger would try to get out of the situation, like he had already shown that he would try to, if Mark let him overthink the situation. So, Mark took initiative, taking hold of Jackson’s right forearm gently, turning it over so that it was wrist up, and hooked his fingers below the sleeve just enough to display the row of tell-tale twelve numbers on the skin of his wrist.

Jackson was fidgeting where he was sitting, but he wasn’t pulling his arm away. Mark let his eyes read the small numbers carefully several times over, before he let out a broken exhale. The numbers matched his own, and he turned his own right wrist up to show that to Jackson too.

The silence had apparently gone on for too long for Jackson, because he felt the need to break it with another round of explanations and blabber.

“I don’t have any rubbing alcohol with me so you could see that mine are real, or well, they should be, I mean, I don’t think they’re drawn on, and I don’t know really anyone else than me who can perfectly imitate the code, and I never could draw it on my right hand, but if you want to be sure–”

“I believe you.”

The words were simple, and they were true. Jackson’s eyes snapped up to where Mark was sitting next to him, shoulders slightly turned so the older could face him better, long fingers still holding onto Jackson’s wrist gently. Mark had only seen Jackson with makeup before, but he found himself rather liking this, seeing the slight unevenness of Jackson’s skin and the healthy glow to it, seeing him without his eyebrows filled in or the top lids of his eyes lined with the slightest bit of eyeshadow.

“Wh– But– Shouldn’t you, like, call Jinyoung-ah? Or something? To check? Or be angry at me for this whole thing? Or see if the code comes off first? I think I have rubbing alcohol at home, or we can get some at the store, the markers come off with something like that, and you'd know for sure that I wouldn't be lying.”

Mark shook his head, directing a closed-lipped smile at Jackson, trying to calm the younger. The tone of Jackson’s voice was already hysteric, higher than usual, and Mark held his hand reassuringly, willing for his words to get through to Jackson. “No, I believe you. Jinyoung-ah wouldn’t have called me to open the door for you if he didn’t know you would be there, wouldn’t have guessed that you would hesitate. And…”

Mark paused for a moment, averting his eyes and wondering to himself if he was jumping too soon, revealing too much too quickly, but it just felt  _ right _ and he didn’t want Jackson to feel insecure, not about this. Mark let go of his bottom lip where he had been biting on it, continuing with the thought, although he was possibly being too honest now. “This feels right.”

For some reason, Jackson seemed to get offended by this, quick to jump to defend his friend when there had been no offense implied. “What do you mean! I won't have you talk lowly of my Jinyoung-ah, he'd make the perfect soulmate to anyone, how can you make him look bad like that!”

Jackson was kind of adorable like this, fuming and pouting. Mark couldn't help but laugh, holding both of Jackson's hands now in his. “I didn't say he was bad, not at all. But he didn't seem to me like my soulmate, which is why I asked to see his numbers the day I met him. I didn't believe it.”

“Why not? He's perfect – smart, well-behaved, super handsome, like you. You looked good together.” Jackson’s voice was whiny and petulant.

“Why are you arguing against us being a match, Jackson-ah?” Mark chuckled, but he was starting to get a little frustrated with how hard Jackson was arguing against this, as if he didn't want this match with Mark, although their fingers were comfortably curled together and Jackson was slightly leaning into him. “I don't know, I guess I've always seen soulmates more as complements, as two distinct and different individuals who are complete on their own, but complement each other. Jinyoung-ah and I were too similar, personality-wise. And I felt a pull to you, the moment I saw you. I ignored it because the code wasn't supposed to be wrong, although I knew in my heart that my match with Jinyoung-ah wasn't right.”

Jackson still wasn't convinced, chewing on his lips and not meeting Mark’s eyes, and Mark just wanted to hold the younger and telling him these words until the younger would believe them, because now, he clearly still didn't. “But, aren't you disappointed? I'm not as smart, good-looking, as perfect to bring back to the parents as Jinyoung-ah is, I'm just…”

Before Jackson could finish that thought, Mark squeezed his hands firmly and interrupted him. “To me, you are perfect. No buts.”

Jackson's eyes were so big, a beautiful almond shape staring into Mark’s soul, hazelnut irises reflecting the younger’s insecurities that Mark wanted to erase so bad, so he did.

“But–”

Mark didn't give Jackson the opportunity to finish that thought, surging forward to catch his lips in a hasty kiss, one hand letting go of Jackson's hands to come to hold the side of his neck and face as they kissed. After all his protests, Jackson melted into the kiss easily, lips moving against Mark’s eagerly, hands coming to hold the older around the waist. It was rushed, as far as first kisses go, and far from being the best kiss they would ever share, but it was right. And when Mark pulled back from the kiss, Jackson didn't seem to remember where he had let off, didn't continue to doubt himself or their match, and that was what Mark wanted.

Although Jackson answering to the kiss should maybe have been answer enough, Mark wanted to make sure, feeling the slightest tinge of uncertainty he felt because of Jackson’s abundant protests. “Don’t you want to be matched with me?”

“I do want to!” Jackson quickly blurted, and his haste put Mark’s heart to ease, the sincerity and seriousness in the chocolate pools of his eyes deep. “I just, I want you to be happy, whether it’s with me or not, and I’m just, afraid, I guess, that you won’t be as happy with me as you would’ve been with Jinyoung-ah, or someone else.”

Mark raised one hand to brush the soft, dark brown hair off Jackson’s face, regarding his features with affection as he smiled. He cupped Jackson’s jaw gently, moving their faces closer again, but not kissing him those wonderful, full lips just yet. “Well, I’ve always been a believer in soulmates, and isn’t that the beauty of it? To know who’s right for you. It won’t be happiness all the time, and it won’t be easy, but at least we will know that it’s right, and worth the fight.”

Jackson’s eyes flickered from his eyes to his lips and back again, and Mark loved this distracted look in them. The words still seemed to sink in too, because the slow smile that spread on Jackson’s face was tinged with relief.

“I guess you’re right,” Jackson finally admitted, and Mark moved to seal those words onto Jackson’s lips, hoping they would stay with him forever with the realization that what they had was right, and with proper care, it would grow into something beautiful and lasting.

Mark thought that even without soulmate codes, if his and Jackson’s paths had ever crossed, he would have fallen for the boy. The start of their relationship had only been complicated by the codes, because without them, Mark wouldn’t have even considered anything with Jinyoung, when the man who was sitting next to the Korean male at the cafe was from the first glance and the first conversation the manifestation of what Mark had been looking for.

Despite the complications, Mark felt happy to know that the both of them had noticed each other even without the help of the soulmate system, the combination of their hearts aligning even when their soul codes hadn’t yet.

And maybe that was just the proof that they needed to know that they were meant to be, not any numbers on their wrists.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this, although - like usual - it got out of hand and longer than I would've planned. I'm glad that my prompter and others liked it, and I hope you did too~ Leave a Kudos if you did, and if you have anything to gush or ask or talk about, I'll see you in the comments ♥


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